What Should Band Alumni Do To Support Bands?

Many of my former students contact me and tell me how much “being in the band” meant to them, particularly now that they are adults.  I know it made some impact, judging from the number of former band members who eventually married each other.  Many former band members remain best friends and communicate frequently on Facebook and other social networking sites and I’ve been fortunate to remain in contact with many of them. 

While I know that a large number of these former students have children who are involved in band programs in their schools, I often wonder if the parents have lost sight of the excitement of band music which once ignited their imaginations and filled many of the hours of their youth.  Do they ever attend a “live” concert of band music or purchase band music online?  Do they take their children to hear the best bands in their area? Was band just a passing “phase” or is there still a love for the music that was once so important in their lives?

I know that I still love the sound of a good band and will still drive several hours to hear a concert.  Recently I went to Rutgers to hear the faculty jazz professors present an evening of fantastic jazz.  In May I heard the Rutgers Wind Ensemble in concert. One of my former students is a member and I had a wonderful night out.  Yes, the drive takes a couple of hours, but the music was well worth the drive, which I took with friends. 

The preservation of “live” band music is becoming a cause that needs the support of all of those who benefited from their participation in the art form as they grew up.  It is  easy to become so self-involved that we forget to “smell the roses” and educate the next generation with the love of music we had at their ages.  A beer and a night in front of the TV may be relaxing for some and even necessary sometimes, but a concert of good music should give a shot of adrenalin to our souls and revive a fond memory of “good times” from the not too distant past.  It should be something we really love to do.

If every former band student would support the best bands within a 2 hour drive of their homes, by attending concerts and perhaps even contributing a few dollars to assure that the community bands can continue to provide their art form to the area, the band medium would meet the artistic desires of most people and provide wholesome family entertainment at a very low per ticket cost.  By attending a concert every few months, the audiences would support most local bands and should enrich the lives of those who hear this unique art form.  But if all those who once loved band music never go to hear it, the local community bands will fade away, and then people will say, “there is nothing to do around here.”

 Now is the time to support your local bands and I guarantee you will thank me for “getting you off your butts” and back out into the world   o f local musical art again.  Karen and I play in the South Jersey Area  Wind Ensemble and we do our best to supply South Jersey with a high quality concert band.  We hope you will plan to attend a few of our 5 yearly concerts.  Don’t say, “I don’t have the time” when you know you could if you just put it in your plans for the month.  Visit www.sjawe.com for more information.